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Donut Look NowFranz Steiner
Lucretia von Königsmähne
Solomon Antedivula
Lucretia von Königsmähne
Solomon Antedivula
@Jumbus @Izurich @ERode
Suffice to say, Franz had not expected the news about last night. When he left the dinner party, he assumed everyone would wake up fully intact the following day. He was wrong. Franz woke up to an early morning mail from Bang, which caught him up to speed on the whole thing.
Ryuuko had ignited Nazca. It was by accident of course but good intentions do not change the result. On one hand he felt bad for Nazca for the tragedy the befell her. But on the other, Franz had to hold back a small laugh to himself. With his understanding of rumour and public perception, the irony that one of the fire witch’s guards had just been burned was not lost on him. This would make winning the trial considerably harder even if the two had managed to get some evidence.
The final part of the message caught Franz’s attention. Bang had decided upon a suspect, Solomon Antedivula. A French Egoist who is a hobbyist in photography. It was as if some higher power had come and bestowed this investigation with the perfect target. His only wish was that he had thought of it first, but alas, he didn’t so much as recognize the name.
Franz was eager to meet this ‘Occidental Egoist’ and not just for the sake of the investigation either. There were a number of topics he would love to pick Solomon’s brain on, the value of Egoism for the Occident and the psyche profile of one Jeanne du Bordeaux being primary among them.
With lack of any company, he had let them roam the dorm room overnight. Franz set to get them back into their cages and packed away. He had a slightly more important task than studying his spiders today.
Leaving the house in smart casual attire, Franz begun the commute toward the newsletter offices
Lucretia was just done dropping off the compacted Schwarzritter to be sent off to Sukuro Jinga's address and was now trying to locate a certain Austrian Polymath, but as luck would have it, said Austrian Polymath just so happened to be in the area as well, heading toward the newsletter offices to be specific. Perking up like a hunting kitten who had just located her quarry, the petite girl beelined toward Franz, the same maneuver that she did before their very first encounter at the Hall of the Greats.
"Guten Morgen, Herr Steiner," But unlike before when the older boy was seated, this time Lucy had to crane her neck to look up at him, the ridiculous gap in their height at full display.
Franz turned to look at the person addressing him, just to equally surprised by the height difference between himself and Lucy. The girl looked noticeably more tired than when he first met her, although he wouldn't jump to the conclusion she had been out past curfew. Such a thing wouldn't fit Franz's impression of her.
Franz hunched ever so slightly down, so as to ease his company's craning neck a little. "And to you, Frau Konigsmahne."
"It came to my knowledge that you'll be serving as a defense attorney in the upcoming trial of Jeanne du Bordeaux, I must express my disapproval and implore you to see reason. Bordeaux is guilty and you should let justice come to pass, we - Polymaths, Occidents, and every civilized person really - will all be better for it." No beating around the bush, no bells and whistles, blitzing straight to the point like a charging Schwarzritter.
Franz was a little taken off guard by Lucy's confrontation. He had known the girl to be blunt, such a thing was no surprised to him. But he did not expect her to be so invested in the matter of the Bordeaux trial. He didn't mind talking about such a thing, but Franz wanted to avoid staying in one place while talking and making a scene. Franz's expression of mild surprised gave way back to a welcoming smile. "Please, lets walk while we talk. I'm afraid I have quite a busy schedule this morning." He talk a few small steps in the direction of the news letter offices then waited for Lucretia to join along.
Just like before when he stood up to get food in the Great Hall, Lucy followed him like a puppy... or more like a hungry kitten demanding food; a puppy would follow someone out of a sense of joy and companionship, the kitten only did so because it had a very specific purpose and wouldn't appreciate any delays to the fulfillment of said purpose. It was clear that she didn't want to walk while talking, it'd be best if matters could be settled right then and there, Deutsche Effizienz.
"You know, Frau Konigsmahne, I was once called guilty myself. I was falsely accused of murder. Had 'justice come to pass', I would have been imprisoned for the rest of my life. So you I hope you can imagine why I would have doubts when someone is immediately labelled as guilty. It was ultimately these doubts that made me want to defend Jeanne in the first place." There was beating around the bush, with bells and whistles, dancing around the point like a well seasoned politician.
Now that was interesting, she supposed she had heard of this information about Franz's alleged murder case, but it was nothing conclusive and what she experienced from the older student so far didn't paint him as a murderer, hence Lucy subconsciously shelved the idea of Franz murdering someone as ridiculous as the rumors said about herself being an automaton. Now that he said it though, it'd be a lie if she couldn't see his reasonings for defending Jeanne, which was unfortunate, not all good intentions led to good results after all. Thus, it was her duty to see the error in his ways.
"I understand, Herr Steiner, but this is different. Have you seen the behavior of Jeanne? She's a black sheep of our kind, so blatantly anarchistic and sociopathic in her behavior, it's only a matter of time before she unleashes her violent urges. We all should be glad that it's 'just' a library this time, we must nip the problem in the bud before innocent lives are lost."
The weaknesses of Franz's double intentions wrung through in this public confrontation. How differently would this have gone had it been behind closed doors. Instead he had to deal with the fact that eyes were on him and rumours of his actions could spread. Franz had no choice but to lamely dance around the issue, weakly defending his case. If he were to lean to close to one side here, the option to turncoat to the other would be forever closed.
"It is hard to consider a woman who has made it into Bermuda to be a senseless madwoman lacking in reason. Is her history rife with unpredictable behaviour? Correct. Did the flames of her furnaces burn down the library? Also correct. But to dismiss her as a guilty without trial would rob all of our kind of a brilliant mind, and a potentially innocent one at that."
"When I look at you, despite the rumours, I do not see gears turning. Much the same with Miss Bordeaux, I do not see a dangerous mind without reason."
"..." Lucretia's brows frowned ever so slightly at Franz's counter-argument on why he should continue on this path; while her intention was clear, she couldn't help but feel inveigled by his points. Yes, it would only be fair that he gave Jeanne a chance just as he was given a chance, her barbarism might just be ridiculously exaggerated rumours just like the hearsay that Lucretia wasn't human, that an academy as prestigious as Bermuda wouldn't have enrolled Jeanne had she was truly a violent lunatic. Ja, had this conversation taken place in more conventional circumstances, the German Polymath could've been convinced...
However, after what occurred last night, Lucretia wasn't so sure about Bermuda's integrity anymore, there was definitely something more here than meets the eye. "Bermuda... peculiar of you to say that, Herr Steiner, because you see, just last night..." Thus, Lucy began concisely explaining her sordid experience the night before - the fog, the man-bat, and everything else - implicitly revealing why she looked worse for wear compared to their first encounter, "...what do you know of these oddities then, Herr Steiner?"
If it could help ease his worries of being in public view, all this time, Lucretia had been conversing with him not in Latin, but in their shared native tongue instead.
Franz's expression turned from one of confusion to one a joyful excitement as Lucy described her experience the previous night. "Miss Konigsmahne, I did not take you for one to skip curfew, even by accident." He joked. "But I am fascinated about this bat figure you mentioned. I'll be frank, I was unsure whether Jeanne's talk of demons was real or some hallucinatory episode bred from darkness and an ill mind. I guess this clears things up."
"It was only because I was searching for your whereabouts, Herr Steiner." She murmured, a rosy tint of shame coloring her pale cheeks.
The abrupt shift of expression on Franz's part didn't go unnoticed by the younger student, such was the degree of change that even Lucretia could recognize it. Peculiar, it seemed that Herr Steiner was more interested in the mystery of the fogged night than Jeanne, this man-bat Egoist figure being the focal point. Emerald eyes blinked twice at their fellow green-eyed individual, staring in awed silence for a brief moment. "Preposterous, so du Bordeaux also encountered this winged figure?" She stood still in contemplation, unwittingly allowing Franz to gain some distance from her.
Franz looked back when noticing he was walking alone and saw Lucy had stopped. It was clear what she was thinking about. "Well I must say, I'm flattered that you risked being at the mercy of such a creature just to conduct a meeting with me. However, it is unnecessary." Franz details Lucy about his address and where to find him. "Considering we a collaborating our academic endeavours, it is best you can visit me when needed."
"As for Jeanne, well I cannot tell you for certain if she met the same Egoist. But a hulking bat figure with wings would match her talk of demons pretty well, no?" Franz smile widened. "Why do you ask? Are you having second thoughts on whether Miss Bordeaux is guilty or not?"
Lucretia made a slight disapproving frown, but she exchanged address with Franz without protest... because she had saved it for after the deed was done, "It was necessary because I didn't know your address, it isn't necessary now." A part of her felt ashamed at forgetting something as simple as an address exchange when she had the chance, but it's in the past and no longer a relevant issue.
"Mmmngh..." The smaller girl frowned again, but deeper this time, "Nein, I still firmly believe that whatever her motivations were, it’s still a crime to burn down such a valuable archive of knowledge." She surmised.
Franz simply smiled back at her response about Jeanne. He began to walk off again toward the newsletter offices before stopping and turning back to Lucy. "I enjoy our conversations, but I wasn't lying about being on a tight schedule I'm afraid." Franz gave out an inviting hand gesture. "I would like you to join me. Now that I know such a figure exists, I would say it's pretty likely I am going to meet this bat egoist myself. A French egoist with a passion for mobile photography fits the description pretty well, no?"
"Who knows, maybe he can help me see reason" Franz teased.
She was just about to catch up when he stopped and turned, extending her an invitation despite his tight schedule. ...? What an odd gesture, why would he need to invite her to discuss about the curfew incidences, something that they were already doing right at this very moment, but she knew by now that Herr Steiner was an eccentric figure, his chosen Major notwithstanding. "I'll also demand an audience with this Bat Egoist, I believe he wasn't being entirely truthful with me regarding the nighttime phenomenon of this accursed island," Lucy replied as her short legs pattered forward to close the distance and follow the significantly taller boy.
"If he's indeed French, I wasn't in the proper state of mind to properly recognize his accent, but I did remember his physical features and the object he carried around his neck. Correct, it was a camera." What were the odds that du Bordeaux, Robespierre, and this Man-Bat were all Frenchmen, huh?
"Well then, lets not waste a second. We have a date with a bat and we don't even know where he lives. I just hope the newsletter offices have some answers, no doubt the man can't help but contribute." Franz stated as he picked up the pace.
Unfortunately, just as how another individual had found out the night before, the location of the Bermuda Triangle's offices was obscure, none of the students who they questioned being able to come up with any particularly convincing answers as to where it might be located. It was, after all, a newspaper agency that had only been established two days prior, and no one who submitted information or materials to the agency had done so in-person.
Always through mail, always through the surprisingly private postal service run by the Bermuda Administration.
Finding Solomon Antedivula, was a much easier prospect. After all, he was the Diamond in the Rough, the self-taught Egoist who nevertheless also had talents for Technologism. He needed a specific space to continue his development and advancements in photography, and with Bermuda being such a novel place, there were plenty of other students who wanted his cameras as well. The 'Atelier du Moor' was located on the entire second floor of a triple-stacked yurt, crafted of more modern materials that sacrificed such a design's transportability in exchange for the sturdiness that allowed it to be host to such heavy machines to begin with. Even from the outside, Lucretia's trained eyes could pick up the Formulae that shone through glimpses in the windows, and without much hesitation, the two Occidental Polymaths ascended the stairs and reached the door.
It was a humble door. A wooden door with a simple, handmade 'Welcome' sign and a brass knob that did not possess any alterations. From beyond, they could hear someone pacing back and forth, inaudible mutterings leaking out from the cracks in the doorframe. Perhaps there was only one way to do this, but maybe this was an opportunity to plan their approach as well.
A Technologist without her tools and a scam artist were hardly a match for a skyscraping Egoist, after all.
Franz expected a larger accommodations. In his mind this Egoist was larger than life. This was a figure who could skulk through the night and someone who could overcome Jeanne. For him to live in such a... humble place did not mesh.
Still, any Egoist was strong and one with his accomplishments made him even more terrifying. Certainly, should fighting break out, Solomon could take both himself and Lucy out in seconds. But Franz had no need for such fears.
"Well, this is it. I would say to let me know if its the same person you met last night. But how many Bat Egoists could there be?" Franz joked.
With a silent, yet firm nod, Lucretia continued following the taller student to the newsletter offices, but first they had to locate the establishment in the first place, in which the process struck Lucy with a dose of Deja Vu. This was just like searching for Sukuro's whereabouts, but at least their objective was a static building this time around. At first glance, Bermuda's administration might seem like they knew what they were doing, but only on the third day of her enrollment, the German polymath could already notice the cracks beneath. Once she returned home, she'd do all in her power to make whoever responsible for this so-called prestigious academy be brought into court.
Once they've finally located the office, finding Solomon's abode was a foregone conclusion. A simple inquiry was all it took for the Deutsche Duo to go to a Mongolian-style dormitory, specifically the atelier on its second floor. "..." Lucy's Technologist vision spotted the many formulization patterns shining through its windows, "There's a technologist on the second for sure."
At last, they arrived before a wooden door, and Lucretia could see that it really was a simple wooden door, no starsteel or anything like that. The presence of an occupant was audible enough that it wouldn't take a Bunga to notice them, hopefully whoever inside was their elusive man-bat. If the petite girl was alone, she'd have immediately tried to open the door but an instinctive part of her decided that she'd let Franz have the honors, perhaps out of a sense of safety as the tall Austrian served as a surrogate for Schwarzritter in lieu of the drone knight's absence.
With no visible signs of fear, Franz knocked on the door with confidence. He then returned to idle chit chat while he waited for an answer. "I am unable to see the flows of technologist energies as well as you. But I am curious, are they complex? If his primary interest is in Egoism, I wonder if he is good in two disciplines. It is quite a rare and exciting thing."
"Ah, just a moment!"
Various sounds of feet shuffling and button clicking and steam hissing could be heard, before the door clicked and swung open. A brass bell atop it rang, announcing a customer that had already announced their presence, and holding the door open was a tall young human in a three piece suit, though the jacket had been hung by the brass coatrack right by the door. His bolo tie was secured to his white shirt by an iridescent resin gem, while his vest was a dark purple that matched his suit pants. Over one eye rested an upraised magnifier lense, and his white hair fell in soft, well-combed tufts.
He smiled at them, somewhat shyly. "Sorry, you think I should put up a 'no need to knock' sign on this? You'd be the twelfth group to have knocked..."
But that was not what caught either Lucretia nor Franz's attention first. No, looking at this young man for the first time in person, they would come to the same conclusion: if this was the face that Jeanne had seen mere moments before being knocked out cold, she could not have presumed that they were an Egoist of Occidental origins.
Upon a sun-glazed windowsill, a chubby Persian cat let out a long, lazy yawn.
After Franz knocked on the door, he somehow deigned that it was an opportune moment to be conversing, how odd, but she shouldn't be surprised by now. "They aren't as complex as Starsteel, but they certainly aren’t the work of an amateur technologist, Herr Steiner." She mused for a moment, "Some Polymaths - whether through talent or dedication - are proficient in multiple Majors, just like yourself, ja?" After all, what was Mesmerology but not an attempt at harmoniously blending all three Majors?
Talents in two professions was useful. Not only was Solomon a incredibly capable Egoist, but a talented technologist as well. He could be quite the asset. Franz tried to hide his widening grin. "Why yes, I am. But it is uncommon, hence my excitement."
Then, the atelier's occupant answered followed shortly by the door being opened, revealing the figure of Solomon, yet another French Polymath. "..." He... didn't look anything like that man-bat, not one bit, but Lucy was aware that Egoists were masters of sculpting their bodies, and who was to say that he couldn't just shift between his chiropteran form and his current humanoid self? Without delay, Lucretia took a half-step forward and literally put a foot in the door.
"Mr. Antedivula, are you the photographer bat Egoist that I encountered last night after curfew?" She inquired, now switching to Latin for obvious reasons.
Franz was caught by surpise when confronted with the relatively mundane appearance of Solomon. This gave away to disappointment, it surely can't be. He stood in place letting Lucy go ahead of him. "I apologize for my companies... bluntness. Greetings, I am Franz Steiner and this is Lady Konigsmahne." He gave a small bow. "We would like to ask you a few questions. The most pressing of course" gesturing toward Lucy "is your lack of Egoist features."
Lucretia's straightforward interrogation, followed by Franz's more subdued confusion, set Solomon aback as well. "Photographer... bat... Egoist?" he repeated, more befuddled than anything. "Uh, no...I'm not? Ah, but yes, introductions should be at hand, even if one can surmise your reputations pretty smoothly."
He ushered them into his atelier soon enough, a single large room that was sectioned off into individual cubicles with thick canvas. There were benches filled with small gears and machinery but no tools, large vats of chemical solutions that would be used for the more difficult portions of photography, in which no Technologism could directly effect, as well as dark rooms and storage rooms humming with dark red lighting. A cast iron stove burned near a table, and he placed a saucepan atop to heat up some milk.
"As you'd know, my name is Solomon Antedivula, Egoist and Technologist. I'm not as sure how much common knowledge this is, but my own specialization within Egoism is essentially..." He opened his mouth up, revealing a set of razor-sharp incisors, before clamping them down onto his left thumb. It sliced open the skin easily, drawing blood from within, and as both Lucretia and Franz watched, a tendril of blood extended outwards like a snake, before waving back and forth at the two of them.
"Prehensile blood's my deal. Makes it easy to do fine work without relying on tools, as you see."
Now, that wasn't a reaction that Lucy preferred coming from Solomon, but yet it was not unexpected as his confusion seemed to align with his mundane appearance, together adding more weight to the possible conclusion that he was not the man-bat Egoist. "..." The disappointment was visible in her emerald eyes as Lucretia looked more than ready to keep pressing the tanned French like a single-minded detective, but fortunately for everyone involved, Franz was there to keep the situation civilized.
Though the tallest Polymath of the three kept the atmosphere (mostly) casual, Lucretia clearly had no interest in trivial things such as introductions and small talks, she was here for a purpose and due to the urgency of the matter, it must not be delayed. As far as she knew, it'd only be a matter of time until someone got murdered during those eldritch night hours. The man-bat Egoist wasn't much of a help either as he left her with more questions than answers, and she hated that. For the moment, she just followed the pair of older boys into Atelier du Moor, eyes meticulously scanning over the various tools and devices contained within, not missing the fluffy persian cat lounging by the windowsill. As much as Lucy wanted to go over and pet its luxurious fur, there were more pressing businesses, and besides, she had always been more of a rabbit person anyway.
Then, Solomon introduced himself and revealed that his Egoism specialization was... manipulating his own blood like an elephant's trunk. What? That's it? Where were the extra arms, horns, and most importantly, the bat wings?!
Lucretia frowned and it wouldn't take a genius polymath to see that she was this close to just get up and leave, but not yet...
"Then, what do you know of your fellow French Polymath in Bermuda, Mr. Antedivula?"
The gears in Franz's mind turned at the developing situation. It couldn't be concluded if Solomon was the Bat Egoist or not. Certainly the details of both fangs and blood control were similarly themed to that of a bat. Egoists drew inspiration from nature, so how many in Bermuda could realistically have used a bat as their muse. Either way Lucy's claim that the bat had a portable camera means it was either Solomon himself, somehow hiding his more bestial form, or a customer of his.
Franz took a nearby seat and lounged comfortably in it. He imagined these question were going to take a while longer yet. "As Frau Konigsmahne asked. I am sure you have heard about the trial of Miss du Bordeaux. Do you have a particular opinion on her guilt?" Franz subtly focused in on Solomon's face looking for the slightest change of expression. Also analyzing him for signs he lacked sleep.
"Hm, well..."
Solomon tilted his head to the side for a moment as he prepared refreshments for his guests, only for his eyes to widen when Franz was kind enough to elaborate on the situation. He set aside some sugar and cream in two little containers shaped like cats' paws, before turning to the two again.
"Ah, Miss du Bordeaux's trial..." he trailed off, then shrugged. "Well, I'm not particularly in the habit of speaking of other's faults, but in her case? It's not someting out of character for her. Much could be said, as I trust you've heard, of her temperament." He raised up a placating hand. "But don't take this the wrong way. As far as I know, she's never killed anyone, so Miss du Bordeaux is hardly just a runaway train."
Lucretia was all eyes and ears as Solomon pondered about this curious situation that involved multiple French Polymaths in the spotlight, time itself seemed to slow down as she took in everything that came from the dark-skinned Egoist; every sweat from his pores, every breath he exhaled, just waiting if there was any indication that he'd divulge any information useful to her goals.
"..." His answer regarding the insane Frenchwoman was... disconcerting, wasn't the photographer bat Egoist the one who provided the proof of Jeanne's arson? So, with the context of everything she had seen from Solomon up until now, it seemed he wasn't that Egoist after all, he might just be using one of Solomon’s cameras, they were of exceptional quality after all, perfect for taking pictures in such an inhospitable fog-choked environment.
Regardless, she had to say something about Jeanne, "Not being a murderous lunatic is not worthy of recognition in itself, that's the barest minimum of a being civilized person. Jeanne is an unstable powder keg, a black sheep that besmirches the reputation of Technologists and Polymaths everywhere, it's a travesty of the highest order to call her as one of our own. Letting this beast roam free will bring nothing but torment to everyone."
Her tirade done, she exhaled once before continuing, "Is it possible that this Bat Egoist used one of your cameras for his nightcrawling journalism? Do you have a ledger documenting your clients?"
Solomon's response was... inconclusive. It would be exactly the answer Franz would have given if he were in the same position. 'Yes she is probably guilty, but actually I don't think she is that crazy.' Accounting for implications, Franz was not sure where Solomon stood on the matter. Was this intentional to hide his real position or was he genuinely so disinterested in the event? But the glimpse of the boy's eyes widening implied the former. Franz needed to dig.
Keeping a focus on the boy's expression, Franz decided to stay silent as Lucy ranted idealistically about Jeanne and the concept of justice. He did not want to give away too much information on himself yet. But that question at the end was perfect. But his surprise at the start around the Bat Egoist topic would imply he has no record of someone like that buying a camera. "Or could we assume that you have not meet such an Egoist before?" Franz added to Lucy's inquiry.
"The tea smells lovely. Thank you." Franz finished with a polite smile.
"I do keep a ledger regarding my business transactions yes," Solomon replied, completely and unashamedly sidestepping Lucretia's little tirade. "If the topic is of Jeanne's transgressions however, why are you looking for this 'Bat Egoist'?"
Lucretia genuinely didn't even care that no one reacted to her rant about Jeanne, for it was a conclusive statement, Jeanne was an unwelcomed wildcard in the Polymath community and everyone would be better off without her around; she believed no one would disagree, not even Franz here even though he was amongst those willing to at least try defending the madwoman. Now then, with that done, they could return to the main topic at hand, that was identifying and locating this elusive bat.
"Wunderbar," The white-haired girl leaned forward just a little bit more, "The Man-Bat was the one who provided proof of Jeanne's arson, and he used a camera that was likely designed by you, he's a witness to a grave crime, therefore it's important that we meet him personally." She blinked once after a brief pause, "Where is this ledger, Mr. Antedivula?"
Franz leaned back in his chair. Was the investigation really the only reason he wanted to talk with the bat? Of course not."Yes the bat egoist is quite an important figure in this investigation. But, it was only until this morning did I know such a figure really existed. I must say the prospect of meeting such an enigmatic figure has me personally excited."
"Although, I doubt we will find much record of a bat egoist in your ledger. Isn't that correct?"
The pan of milk left on the stove was boiling now, filling the air around the three with a mild butteriness. Solomon stood up and poured the milk into three dainty little cups, mixing it with tea that had been left cold. The resulting milk tea was hot but not scalding, and he placed one cup per individual, before settling himself down again.
"Unfortunately, while I don't particularly mind cooperating with this investigation, it appears that Miss Konigsmahne's interest is a bit, hm...personal? Considering the first question she's asked me and all." He peered into the German Polymath's eyes briefly, curiosity mixed with a tinge of confuddlement and suspicion, before continuing, gaze shifting towards Franz. "Regardless, however, it would be a breach in confidence to hand over my ledger in its entirety. Do either of you have a name or a proper description I could reference?"
Though the Occident-style milk tea was served, it remained untouched as Lucy didn't have the muse to be enjoying tea time at the moment. The youngest Polymath in the room slightly tilted her head quizzically as Solomon's ruby eyes peered at her emeralds, for the moment wondering just what exactly he meant by that? How odd for him to pick that reason as an excuse to refuse her request. "It is personal. I wish to meet with this Bat Egoist to acquire more information." Or else, why should she even be here in the first place? Would he have accepted the reason wasn't personal? For one reason or another, Lucretia believed he'd have refused nevertheless, just as he admitted himself.
Her eyes narrowed, a part of her mind briefly entertaining the idea of intimidating the ledger out of him, then she remembered that the tall figure beside her was Franz, not Schwarzritter. The young girl sighed, precisely in that 'Why are you being so difficult?' way that insufferable geniuses often did, those who couldn't comprehend why the world wouldn't immediately bend to their beck and call. "He had a pair of bat wings, large muscular build, four arms, a two-sided axe-shaped face, and..." Thus Lucy continued listing off all the nightcrawling Egoist's physical features that she could remember.
"Will that satisfy you, Mr. Antedivula?"
"Ok, so you two are here for different purposes. That makes sense." Solomon slapped his fist into his palm, then drew out a notepad and a charcoal pencil from his vest's pocket. Flipping through what looked to be sketched out diagrams of unrecognizable machinery, he settled on a new page before sketching out Lucretia's own descriptions, bobbing his head back and forth as he did so, pausing only to ponder over the 'axe-shaped face'.
"Well," he spoke, leaning back a bit to inspect his work. "That's certainly a...thing. I must confess, friends, that this combination of traits makes for a very striking individual, but while there are certainly some winged Egoists out there, as well as ones with furry limbs or a prehensile tail, this axe-shaped face sorta...makes no sense? What does it even do? What animal is this based off of?"
Truly, it was befuddling. Egoists did take on some strange appearances to realize their ideals, but even then, those were gradual transformations that showed some sign of having some reason for molding their bodies into such a manner. In the case of this Bat Egoist, it really looked like they just stuck two unnecessary chunks of flesh on the sides of their head.
"Are you certain that, perhaps, you didn't mistake their hat for a part of their head?"
Stating that she and Franz were here for different purposes was correct, one wanted to persecute Jeanne while the other planned for the opposite, however, it was also true that they both sought the Bat Egoist for their respective purposes, he was a key figure in the case, whether as the prosecutor or defender. Lucy went into a thinking posture upon Solomon's reply after the sketch was done, that was certainly something no one would disagree with there, this particular Egoist was so striking that unless he had shapeshifting abilities, no one sane would mistake him for anyone else. "That is something I had hoped for you to answer as I have insufficient knowledge regarding the intricacies of Egoism."
However, Lucretia could at least firmly shake her head at the Moroccan-Frenchman's next inquiry, "I am confident that he didn't wear headgear, it'd have fallen off considering how swift he moved to evade Schwarzritter's assault."
Franz sat back for the following exchange. It was important for him to look less invested than Lucy. Still, every action that Solomon took was under the scrutiny of the mesmerologists eye.
But when Solomon started pulling out a notepad to sketch the Egoist, Franz could only let out a chuckle. It was an amusing display. But with all the ties to this man could he really still be playing dumb. This wasn't even mentioning the visible mood changes throughout the conversation that let on he was more invested in this than he lets on.
Franz leaned in with a warm smile as if greeting a friend. "I must say this is amusing, Solomon. But I believe my companion here may have lead you down the wrong train of thought. So with all due respect, I must be blunt."
Franz then chimed in and Lucretia let him take the spotlight for now, she just listened at the Austrian's deduction on the matter. That's true, both of them think that the elusive Bat and Solomon had ties in some way, as patron and client at least, else, why would they even be here?
Meanwhile, the petite girl decided to sip the served milk tea while the two boys conversed.
"We believe you have ties to the Bat Egoist, in fact, I'm convinced of it. The ledger, Lucy's vivid description, this is all to ask a very simple question. Do you have a connection to this Bat Egoist?" Franz's smile faded slightly to one of focus. His eyes were locked into eye contact with Solomon's. Not even the slightest change in expression would go unnoticed.
While engaged in this question, Franz pulled a notebook out of his pocket. Without looking, he opened up to a specific page and wrote a small note. The context of that page hidden from the other two.
"Well, in terms of Egoism, I am honestly unable to recall whether there's a way to 'shapeshift' like they speak of in mythology and fairy tales," Solomon spoke. "The apex of the Oriental Egoists can increase their mass to titanic heights and then regress, but subtler transformations...well, in general cases, it takes a week or two to even obtain cosmetic additions and modifications to one's body through Egoism."
Franz, however, was pushing the point once more, and the dark-skinned Egoist turned towards the Genius of Vienna, amethyst eyes matching Franz's own. "As we've established beforehand, I may or may not have manufactured a photography device for this 'Bat Egoist'. Going by the description Miss Konigsmahne has provided, however, none of my clientele match what she had encountered, and Egoism itself, so far as I am aware, does not allow for swift shapeshifts."
Solomon sipped at his own cup of milk tea.
"Hmmm..." Solomon's answers present an interesting conundrum, given all the arguments presented, it seemed like the Frenchman wasn't lying after all. If most Egoists can't change their body on the fly, especially one such drastic transformation if Solomon was the Man-Bat, and that he claimed that none of his clients looked like the elusive photographer, then could Solomon really not be related to him? However, that high quality camera he carried, that fact still convinced Lucy that Solomon had relations with him, indirectly at the very least.
"Might have purchased one of your cameras through a proxy, Mr. Antedivula?" She inquired, hand on her chin, in deep thought.
The damned Frenchman was lying. Franz would not accept that answer as anywhere close to being the truth. But what could he do now? Solomon had responded in a polite and respectful manner, he didn't so much as show a lick of hesitation. Pressing him further now would yield no results and only serve to degrade Franz's image. With nothing more to be gained here, it was time to leave. All that was left was to finish up the small talk. But this was not over.
Franz leaned back returning to his friendly demeanor. "Ah, thank you. I appreciate such a direct answer. I believe that concludes our investigation here. A dead end is a dead end after all." Franz shrugged it off. "But I must say your company is enjoyable, Mr Antedivula. Should the circumstances of our meeting were different, I am sure we could have made fast friends."
"But alas, I can only thank you for the tea and be on my way."
"If it was purchased via proxy...well in that case, I certainly couldn't help you," Solomon replied, an apologetic smile forming. "I do wish you two the best in your future investigations, however."
He lifted his left hand up, offering a handshake to first Franz, then Lucretia.
"Good day to the two of you. Perhaps next time, I'll see you two as customers proper?"
"Hmmm..." Lucy spared a few more moments to think, Solomon's answer made sense, perhaps it was time to search for this proxy. Well, there was the possibility that the Man-Bat is indeed one of his customers, just a backroom deal kind of thing, not registered in the ledger; even if he was, the Moroccan Frenchman wouldn't let her see it anyway. If only Schwarzritter is here... In hindsight, perhaps it'd have been a wiser move to not lend it to Sukoro for a few days, but hindsight had perfect vision for a reason.
Right now, continuing the conversation would just be a waste of time, so Lucretia had similar thoughts as Franz. She finished her cup of milk tea then stood up as well, "Actually, I'll also be going myself. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Antedivula." After reciprocating Solomon's handshake, she proceeded to position herself to tag along with Franz, something the Austrian student would no doubt notice, "I'll be coming with you, Herr Steiner." ...and that too, perhaps.
Franz said his farewells to the French Egoist, knowing full well this was not the end. A friendly smile hid ill intent as Franz was already plotting his actions for the coming night.
On his way out, Franz noticed that Lucy was still insistant on joining him on his daily adventures. While he didn't mind the company, he did prefer to do his work alone. So instead, he may as well meet up with the investigation team and let them in on the developments. Plus, he found the idea of bringing Lucy into such a place quite amusing. "As you wish, Frau Konigsmahne."
Ryuuko had ignited Nazca. It was by accident of course but good intentions do not change the result. On one hand he felt bad for Nazca for the tragedy the befell her. But on the other, Franz had to hold back a small laugh to himself. With his understanding of rumour and public perception, the irony that one of the fire witch’s guards had just been burned was not lost on him. This would make winning the trial considerably harder even if the two had managed to get some evidence.
The final part of the message caught Franz’s attention. Bang had decided upon a suspect, Solomon Antedivula. A French Egoist who is a hobbyist in photography. It was as if some higher power had come and bestowed this investigation with the perfect target. His only wish was that he had thought of it first, but alas, he didn’t so much as recognize the name.
Franz was eager to meet this ‘Occidental Egoist’ and not just for the sake of the investigation either. There were a number of topics he would love to pick Solomon’s brain on, the value of Egoism for the Occident and the psyche profile of one Jeanne du Bordeaux being primary among them.
With lack of any company, he had let them roam the dorm room overnight. Franz set to get them back into their cages and packed away. He had a slightly more important task than studying his spiders today.
Leaving the house in smart casual attire, Franz begun the commute toward the newsletter offices
Lucretia was just done dropping off the compacted Schwarzritter to be sent off to Sukuro Jinga's address and was now trying to locate a certain Austrian Polymath, but as luck would have it, said Austrian Polymath just so happened to be in the area as well, heading toward the newsletter offices to be specific. Perking up like a hunting kitten who had just located her quarry, the petite girl beelined toward Franz, the same maneuver that she did before their very first encounter at the Hall of the Greats.
"Guten Morgen, Herr Steiner," But unlike before when the older boy was seated, this time Lucy had to crane her neck to look up at him, the ridiculous gap in their height at full display.
Franz turned to look at the person addressing him, just to equally surprised by the height difference between himself and Lucy. The girl looked noticeably more tired than when he first met her, although he wouldn't jump to the conclusion she had been out past curfew. Such a thing wouldn't fit Franz's impression of her.
Franz hunched ever so slightly down, so as to ease his company's craning neck a little. "And to you, Frau Konigsmahne."
"It came to my knowledge that you'll be serving as a defense attorney in the upcoming trial of Jeanne du Bordeaux, I must express my disapproval and implore you to see reason. Bordeaux is guilty and you should let justice come to pass, we - Polymaths, Occidents, and every civilized person really - will all be better for it." No beating around the bush, no bells and whistles, blitzing straight to the point like a charging Schwarzritter.
Franz was a little taken off guard by Lucy's confrontation. He had known the girl to be blunt, such a thing was no surprised to him. But he did not expect her to be so invested in the matter of the Bordeaux trial. He didn't mind talking about such a thing, but Franz wanted to avoid staying in one place while talking and making a scene. Franz's expression of mild surprised gave way back to a welcoming smile. "Please, lets walk while we talk. I'm afraid I have quite a busy schedule this morning." He talk a few small steps in the direction of the news letter offices then waited for Lucretia to join along.
Just like before when he stood up to get food in the Great Hall, Lucy followed him like a puppy... or more like a hungry kitten demanding food; a puppy would follow someone out of a sense of joy and companionship, the kitten only did so because it had a very specific purpose and wouldn't appreciate any delays to the fulfillment of said purpose. It was clear that she didn't want to walk while talking, it'd be best if matters could be settled right then and there, Deutsche Effizienz.
"You know, Frau Konigsmahne, I was once called guilty myself. I was falsely accused of murder. Had 'justice come to pass', I would have been imprisoned for the rest of my life. So you I hope you can imagine why I would have doubts when someone is immediately labelled as guilty. It was ultimately these doubts that made me want to defend Jeanne in the first place." There was beating around the bush, with bells and whistles, dancing around the point like a well seasoned politician.
Now that was interesting, she supposed she had heard of this information about Franz's alleged murder case, but it was nothing conclusive and what she experienced from the older student so far didn't paint him as a murderer, hence Lucy subconsciously shelved the idea of Franz murdering someone as ridiculous as the rumors said about herself being an automaton. Now that he said it though, it'd be a lie if she couldn't see his reasonings for defending Jeanne, which was unfortunate, not all good intentions led to good results after all. Thus, it was her duty to see the error in his ways.
"I understand, Herr Steiner, but this is different. Have you seen the behavior of Jeanne? She's a black sheep of our kind, so blatantly anarchistic and sociopathic in her behavior, it's only a matter of time before she unleashes her violent urges. We all should be glad that it's 'just' a library this time, we must nip the problem in the bud before innocent lives are lost."
The weaknesses of Franz's double intentions wrung through in this public confrontation. How differently would this have gone had it been behind closed doors. Instead he had to deal with the fact that eyes were on him and rumours of his actions could spread. Franz had no choice but to lamely dance around the issue, weakly defending his case. If he were to lean to close to one side here, the option to turncoat to the other would be forever closed.
"It is hard to consider a woman who has made it into Bermuda to be a senseless madwoman lacking in reason. Is her history rife with unpredictable behaviour? Correct. Did the flames of her furnaces burn down the library? Also correct. But to dismiss her as a guilty without trial would rob all of our kind of a brilliant mind, and a potentially innocent one at that."
"When I look at you, despite the rumours, I do not see gears turning. Much the same with Miss Bordeaux, I do not see a dangerous mind without reason."
"..." Lucretia's brows frowned ever so slightly at Franz's counter-argument on why he should continue on this path; while her intention was clear, she couldn't help but feel inveigled by his points. Yes, it would only be fair that he gave Jeanne a chance just as he was given a chance, her barbarism might just be ridiculously exaggerated rumours just like the hearsay that Lucretia wasn't human, that an academy as prestigious as Bermuda wouldn't have enrolled Jeanne had she was truly a violent lunatic. Ja, had this conversation taken place in more conventional circumstances, the German Polymath could've been convinced...
However, after what occurred last night, Lucretia wasn't so sure about Bermuda's integrity anymore, there was definitely something more here than meets the eye. "Bermuda... peculiar of you to say that, Herr Steiner, because you see, just last night..." Thus, Lucy began concisely explaining her sordid experience the night before - the fog, the man-bat, and everything else - implicitly revealing why she looked worse for wear compared to their first encounter, "...what do you know of these oddities then, Herr Steiner?"
If it could help ease his worries of being in public view, all this time, Lucretia had been conversing with him not in Latin, but in their shared native tongue instead.
Franz's expression turned from one of confusion to one a joyful excitement as Lucy described her experience the previous night. "Miss Konigsmahne, I did not take you for one to skip curfew, even by accident." He joked. "But I am fascinated about this bat figure you mentioned. I'll be frank, I was unsure whether Jeanne's talk of demons was real or some hallucinatory episode bred from darkness and an ill mind. I guess this clears things up."
"It was only because I was searching for your whereabouts, Herr Steiner." She murmured, a rosy tint of shame coloring her pale cheeks.
The abrupt shift of expression on Franz's part didn't go unnoticed by the younger student, such was the degree of change that even Lucretia could recognize it. Peculiar, it seemed that Herr Steiner was more interested in the mystery of the fogged night than Jeanne, this man-bat Egoist figure being the focal point. Emerald eyes blinked twice at their fellow green-eyed individual, staring in awed silence for a brief moment. "Preposterous, so du Bordeaux also encountered this winged figure?" She stood still in contemplation, unwittingly allowing Franz to gain some distance from her.
Franz looked back when noticing he was walking alone and saw Lucy had stopped. It was clear what she was thinking about. "Well I must say, I'm flattered that you risked being at the mercy of such a creature just to conduct a meeting with me. However, it is unnecessary." Franz details Lucy about his address and where to find him. "Considering we a collaborating our academic endeavours, it is best you can visit me when needed."
"As for Jeanne, well I cannot tell you for certain if she met the same Egoist. But a hulking bat figure with wings would match her talk of demons pretty well, no?" Franz smile widened. "Why do you ask? Are you having second thoughts on whether Miss Bordeaux is guilty or not?"
Lucretia made a slight disapproving frown, but she exchanged address with Franz without protest... because she had saved it for after the deed was done, "It was necessary because I didn't know your address, it isn't necessary now." A part of her felt ashamed at forgetting something as simple as an address exchange when she had the chance, but it's in the past and no longer a relevant issue.
"Mmmngh..." The smaller girl frowned again, but deeper this time, "Nein, I still firmly believe that whatever her motivations were, it’s still a crime to burn down such a valuable archive of knowledge." She surmised.
Franz simply smiled back at her response about Jeanne. He began to walk off again toward the newsletter offices before stopping and turning back to Lucy. "I enjoy our conversations, but I wasn't lying about being on a tight schedule I'm afraid." Franz gave out an inviting hand gesture. "I would like you to join me. Now that I know such a figure exists, I would say it's pretty likely I am going to meet this bat egoist myself. A French egoist with a passion for mobile photography fits the description pretty well, no?"
"Who knows, maybe he can help me see reason" Franz teased.
She was just about to catch up when he stopped and turned, extending her an invitation despite his tight schedule. ...? What an odd gesture, why would he need to invite her to discuss about the curfew incidences, something that they were already doing right at this very moment, but she knew by now that Herr Steiner was an eccentric figure, his chosen Major notwithstanding. "I'll also demand an audience with this Bat Egoist, I believe he wasn't being entirely truthful with me regarding the nighttime phenomenon of this accursed island," Lucy replied as her short legs pattered forward to close the distance and follow the significantly taller boy.
"If he's indeed French, I wasn't in the proper state of mind to properly recognize his accent, but I did remember his physical features and the object he carried around his neck. Correct, it was a camera." What were the odds that du Bordeaux, Robespierre, and this Man-Bat were all Frenchmen, huh?
"Well then, lets not waste a second. We have a date with a bat and we don't even know where he lives. I just hope the newsletter offices have some answers, no doubt the man can't help but contribute." Franz stated as he picked up the pace.
Unfortunately, just as how another individual had found out the night before, the location of the Bermuda Triangle's offices was obscure, none of the students who they questioned being able to come up with any particularly convincing answers as to where it might be located. It was, after all, a newspaper agency that had only been established two days prior, and no one who submitted information or materials to the agency had done so in-person.
Always through mail, always through the surprisingly private postal service run by the Bermuda Administration.
Finding Solomon Antedivula, was a much easier prospect. After all, he was the Diamond in the Rough, the self-taught Egoist who nevertheless also had talents for Technologism. He needed a specific space to continue his development and advancements in photography, and with Bermuda being such a novel place, there were plenty of other students who wanted his cameras as well. The 'Atelier du Moor' was located on the entire second floor of a triple-stacked yurt, crafted of more modern materials that sacrificed such a design's transportability in exchange for the sturdiness that allowed it to be host to such heavy machines to begin with. Even from the outside, Lucretia's trained eyes could pick up the Formulae that shone through glimpses in the windows, and without much hesitation, the two Occidental Polymaths ascended the stairs and reached the door.
It was a humble door. A wooden door with a simple, handmade 'Welcome' sign and a brass knob that did not possess any alterations. From beyond, they could hear someone pacing back and forth, inaudible mutterings leaking out from the cracks in the doorframe. Perhaps there was only one way to do this, but maybe this was an opportunity to plan their approach as well.
A Technologist without her tools and a scam artist were hardly a match for a skyscraping Egoist, after all.
Franz expected a larger accommodations. In his mind this Egoist was larger than life. This was a figure who could skulk through the night and someone who could overcome Jeanne. For him to live in such a... humble place did not mesh.
Still, any Egoist was strong and one with his accomplishments made him even more terrifying. Certainly, should fighting break out, Solomon could take both himself and Lucy out in seconds. But Franz had no need for such fears.
"Well, this is it. I would say to let me know if its the same person you met last night. But how many Bat Egoists could there be?" Franz joked.
With a silent, yet firm nod, Lucretia continued following the taller student to the newsletter offices, but first they had to locate the establishment in the first place, in which the process struck Lucy with a dose of Deja Vu. This was just like searching for Sukuro's whereabouts, but at least their objective was a static building this time around. At first glance, Bermuda's administration might seem like they knew what they were doing, but only on the third day of her enrollment, the German polymath could already notice the cracks beneath. Once she returned home, she'd do all in her power to make whoever responsible for this so-called prestigious academy be brought into court.
Once they've finally located the office, finding Solomon's abode was a foregone conclusion. A simple inquiry was all it took for the Deutsche Duo to go to a Mongolian-style dormitory, specifically the atelier on its second floor. "..." Lucy's Technologist vision spotted the many formulization patterns shining through its windows, "There's a technologist on the second for sure."
At last, they arrived before a wooden door, and Lucretia could see that it really was a simple wooden door, no starsteel or anything like that. The presence of an occupant was audible enough that it wouldn't take a Bunga to notice them, hopefully whoever inside was their elusive man-bat. If the petite girl was alone, she'd have immediately tried to open the door but an instinctive part of her decided that she'd let Franz have the honors, perhaps out of a sense of safety as the tall Austrian served as a surrogate for Schwarzritter in lieu of the drone knight's absence.
With no visible signs of fear, Franz knocked on the door with confidence. He then returned to idle chit chat while he waited for an answer. "I am unable to see the flows of technologist energies as well as you. But I am curious, are they complex? If his primary interest is in Egoism, I wonder if he is good in two disciplines. It is quite a rare and exciting thing."
"Ah, just a moment!"
Various sounds of feet shuffling and button clicking and steam hissing could be heard, before the door clicked and swung open. A brass bell atop it rang, announcing a customer that had already announced their presence, and holding the door open was a tall young human in a three piece suit, though the jacket had been hung by the brass coatrack right by the door. His bolo tie was secured to his white shirt by an iridescent resin gem, while his vest was a dark purple that matched his suit pants. Over one eye rested an upraised magnifier lense, and his white hair fell in soft, well-combed tufts.
He smiled at them, somewhat shyly. "Sorry, you think I should put up a 'no need to knock' sign on this? You'd be the twelfth group to have knocked..."
But that was not what caught either Lucretia nor Franz's attention first. No, looking at this young man for the first time in person, they would come to the same conclusion: if this was the face that Jeanne had seen mere moments before being knocked out cold, she could not have presumed that they were an Egoist of Occidental origins.
Upon a sun-glazed windowsill, a chubby Persian cat let out a long, lazy yawn.
After Franz knocked on the door, he somehow deigned that it was an opportune moment to be conversing, how odd, but she shouldn't be surprised by now. "They aren't as complex as Starsteel, but they certainly aren’t the work of an amateur technologist, Herr Steiner." She mused for a moment, "Some Polymaths - whether through talent or dedication - are proficient in multiple Majors, just like yourself, ja?" After all, what was Mesmerology but not an attempt at harmoniously blending all three Majors?
Talents in two professions was useful. Not only was Solomon a incredibly capable Egoist, but a talented technologist as well. He could be quite the asset. Franz tried to hide his widening grin. "Why yes, I am. But it is uncommon, hence my excitement."
Then, the atelier's occupant answered followed shortly by the door being opened, revealing the figure of Solomon, yet another French Polymath. "..." He... didn't look anything like that man-bat, not one bit, but Lucy was aware that Egoists were masters of sculpting their bodies, and who was to say that he couldn't just shift between his chiropteran form and his current humanoid self? Without delay, Lucretia took a half-step forward and literally put a foot in the door.
"Mr. Antedivula, are you the photographer bat Egoist that I encountered last night after curfew?" She inquired, now switching to Latin for obvious reasons.
Franz was caught by surpise when confronted with the relatively mundane appearance of Solomon. This gave away to disappointment, it surely can't be. He stood in place letting Lucy go ahead of him. "I apologize for my companies... bluntness. Greetings, I am Franz Steiner and this is Lady Konigsmahne." He gave a small bow. "We would like to ask you a few questions. The most pressing of course" gesturing toward Lucy "is your lack of Egoist features."
Lucretia's straightforward interrogation, followed by Franz's more subdued confusion, set Solomon aback as well. "Photographer... bat... Egoist?" he repeated, more befuddled than anything. "Uh, no...I'm not? Ah, but yes, introductions should be at hand, even if one can surmise your reputations pretty smoothly."
He ushered them into his atelier soon enough, a single large room that was sectioned off into individual cubicles with thick canvas. There were benches filled with small gears and machinery but no tools, large vats of chemical solutions that would be used for the more difficult portions of photography, in which no Technologism could directly effect, as well as dark rooms and storage rooms humming with dark red lighting. A cast iron stove burned near a table, and he placed a saucepan atop to heat up some milk.
"As you'd know, my name is Solomon Antedivula, Egoist and Technologist. I'm not as sure how much common knowledge this is, but my own specialization within Egoism is essentially..." He opened his mouth up, revealing a set of razor-sharp incisors, before clamping them down onto his left thumb. It sliced open the skin easily, drawing blood from within, and as both Lucretia and Franz watched, a tendril of blood extended outwards like a snake, before waving back and forth at the two of them.
"Prehensile blood's my deal. Makes it easy to do fine work without relying on tools, as you see."
Now, that wasn't a reaction that Lucy preferred coming from Solomon, but yet it was not unexpected as his confusion seemed to align with his mundane appearance, together adding more weight to the possible conclusion that he was not the man-bat Egoist. "..." The disappointment was visible in her emerald eyes as Lucretia looked more than ready to keep pressing the tanned French like a single-minded detective, but fortunately for everyone involved, Franz was there to keep the situation civilized.
Though the tallest Polymath of the three kept the atmosphere (mostly) casual, Lucretia clearly had no interest in trivial things such as introductions and small talks, she was here for a purpose and due to the urgency of the matter, it must not be delayed. As far as she knew, it'd only be a matter of time until someone got murdered during those eldritch night hours. The man-bat Egoist wasn't much of a help either as he left her with more questions than answers, and she hated that. For the moment, she just followed the pair of older boys into Atelier du Moor, eyes meticulously scanning over the various tools and devices contained within, not missing the fluffy persian cat lounging by the windowsill. As much as Lucy wanted to go over and pet its luxurious fur, there were more pressing businesses, and besides, she had always been more of a rabbit person anyway.
Then, Solomon introduced himself and revealed that his Egoism specialization was... manipulating his own blood like an elephant's trunk. What? That's it? Where were the extra arms, horns, and most importantly, the bat wings?!
Lucretia frowned and it wouldn't take a genius polymath to see that she was this close to just get up and leave, but not yet...
"Then, what do you know of your fellow French Polymath in Bermuda, Mr. Antedivula?"
The gears in Franz's mind turned at the developing situation. It couldn't be concluded if Solomon was the Bat Egoist or not. Certainly the details of both fangs and blood control were similarly themed to that of a bat. Egoists drew inspiration from nature, so how many in Bermuda could realistically have used a bat as their muse. Either way Lucy's claim that the bat had a portable camera means it was either Solomon himself, somehow hiding his more bestial form, or a customer of his.
Franz took a nearby seat and lounged comfortably in it. He imagined these question were going to take a while longer yet. "As Frau Konigsmahne asked. I am sure you have heard about the trial of Miss du Bordeaux. Do you have a particular opinion on her guilt?" Franz subtly focused in on Solomon's face looking for the slightest change of expression. Also analyzing him for signs he lacked sleep.
"Hm, well..."
Solomon tilted his head to the side for a moment as he prepared refreshments for his guests, only for his eyes to widen when Franz was kind enough to elaborate on the situation. He set aside some sugar and cream in two little containers shaped like cats' paws, before turning to the two again.
"Ah, Miss du Bordeaux's trial..." he trailed off, then shrugged. "Well, I'm not particularly in the habit of speaking of other's faults, but in her case? It's not someting out of character for her. Much could be said, as I trust you've heard, of her temperament." He raised up a placating hand. "But don't take this the wrong way. As far as I know, she's never killed anyone, so Miss du Bordeaux is hardly just a runaway train."
Lucretia was all eyes and ears as Solomon pondered about this curious situation that involved multiple French Polymaths in the spotlight, time itself seemed to slow down as she took in everything that came from the dark-skinned Egoist; every sweat from his pores, every breath he exhaled, just waiting if there was any indication that he'd divulge any information useful to her goals.
"..." His answer regarding the insane Frenchwoman was... disconcerting, wasn't the photographer bat Egoist the one who provided the proof of Jeanne's arson? So, with the context of everything she had seen from Solomon up until now, it seemed he wasn't that Egoist after all, he might just be using one of Solomon’s cameras, they were of exceptional quality after all, perfect for taking pictures in such an inhospitable fog-choked environment.
Regardless, she had to say something about Jeanne, "Not being a murderous lunatic is not worthy of recognition in itself, that's the barest minimum of a being civilized person. Jeanne is an unstable powder keg, a black sheep that besmirches the reputation of Technologists and Polymaths everywhere, it's a travesty of the highest order to call her as one of our own. Letting this beast roam free will bring nothing but torment to everyone."
Her tirade done, she exhaled once before continuing, "Is it possible that this Bat Egoist used one of your cameras for his nightcrawling journalism? Do you have a ledger documenting your clients?"
Solomon's response was... inconclusive. It would be exactly the answer Franz would have given if he were in the same position. 'Yes she is probably guilty, but actually I don't think she is that crazy.' Accounting for implications, Franz was not sure where Solomon stood on the matter. Was this intentional to hide his real position or was he genuinely so disinterested in the event? But the glimpse of the boy's eyes widening implied the former. Franz needed to dig.
Keeping a focus on the boy's expression, Franz decided to stay silent as Lucy ranted idealistically about Jeanne and the concept of justice. He did not want to give away too much information on himself yet. But that question at the end was perfect. But his surprise at the start around the Bat Egoist topic would imply he has no record of someone like that buying a camera. "Or could we assume that you have not meet such an Egoist before?" Franz added to Lucy's inquiry.
"The tea smells lovely. Thank you." Franz finished with a polite smile.
"I do keep a ledger regarding my business transactions yes," Solomon replied, completely and unashamedly sidestepping Lucretia's little tirade. "If the topic is of Jeanne's transgressions however, why are you looking for this 'Bat Egoist'?"
Lucretia genuinely didn't even care that no one reacted to her rant about Jeanne, for it was a conclusive statement, Jeanne was an unwelcomed wildcard in the Polymath community and everyone would be better off without her around; she believed no one would disagree, not even Franz here even though he was amongst those willing to at least try defending the madwoman. Now then, with that done, they could return to the main topic at hand, that was identifying and locating this elusive bat.
"Wunderbar," The white-haired girl leaned forward just a little bit more, "The Man-Bat was the one who provided proof of Jeanne's arson, and he used a camera that was likely designed by you, he's a witness to a grave crime, therefore it's important that we meet him personally." She blinked once after a brief pause, "Where is this ledger, Mr. Antedivula?"
Franz leaned back in his chair. Was the investigation really the only reason he wanted to talk with the bat? Of course not."Yes the bat egoist is quite an important figure in this investigation. But, it was only until this morning did I know such a figure really existed. I must say the prospect of meeting such an enigmatic figure has me personally excited."
"Although, I doubt we will find much record of a bat egoist in your ledger. Isn't that correct?"
The pan of milk left on the stove was boiling now, filling the air around the three with a mild butteriness. Solomon stood up and poured the milk into three dainty little cups, mixing it with tea that had been left cold. The resulting milk tea was hot but not scalding, and he placed one cup per individual, before settling himself down again.
"Unfortunately, while I don't particularly mind cooperating with this investigation, it appears that Miss Konigsmahne's interest is a bit, hm...personal? Considering the first question she's asked me and all." He peered into the German Polymath's eyes briefly, curiosity mixed with a tinge of confuddlement and suspicion, before continuing, gaze shifting towards Franz. "Regardless, however, it would be a breach in confidence to hand over my ledger in its entirety. Do either of you have a name or a proper description I could reference?"
Though the Occident-style milk tea was served, it remained untouched as Lucy didn't have the muse to be enjoying tea time at the moment. The youngest Polymath in the room slightly tilted her head quizzically as Solomon's ruby eyes peered at her emeralds, for the moment wondering just what exactly he meant by that? How odd for him to pick that reason as an excuse to refuse her request. "It is personal. I wish to meet with this Bat Egoist to acquire more information." Or else, why should she even be here in the first place? Would he have accepted the reason wasn't personal? For one reason or another, Lucretia believed he'd have refused nevertheless, just as he admitted himself.
Her eyes narrowed, a part of her mind briefly entertaining the idea of intimidating the ledger out of him, then she remembered that the tall figure beside her was Franz, not Schwarzritter. The young girl sighed, precisely in that 'Why are you being so difficult?' way that insufferable geniuses often did, those who couldn't comprehend why the world wouldn't immediately bend to their beck and call. "He had a pair of bat wings, large muscular build, four arms, a two-sided axe-shaped face, and..." Thus Lucy continued listing off all the nightcrawling Egoist's physical features that she could remember.
"Will that satisfy you, Mr. Antedivula?"
"Ok, so you two are here for different purposes. That makes sense." Solomon slapped his fist into his palm, then drew out a notepad and a charcoal pencil from his vest's pocket. Flipping through what looked to be sketched out diagrams of unrecognizable machinery, he settled on a new page before sketching out Lucretia's own descriptions, bobbing his head back and forth as he did so, pausing only to ponder over the 'axe-shaped face'.
"Well," he spoke, leaning back a bit to inspect his work. "That's certainly a...thing. I must confess, friends, that this combination of traits makes for a very striking individual, but while there are certainly some winged Egoists out there, as well as ones with furry limbs or a prehensile tail, this axe-shaped face sorta...makes no sense? What does it even do? What animal is this based off of?"
Truly, it was befuddling. Egoists did take on some strange appearances to realize their ideals, but even then, those were gradual transformations that showed some sign of having some reason for molding their bodies into such a manner. In the case of this Bat Egoist, it really looked like they just stuck two unnecessary chunks of flesh on the sides of their head.
"Are you certain that, perhaps, you didn't mistake their hat for a part of their head?"
Stating that she and Franz were here for different purposes was correct, one wanted to persecute Jeanne while the other planned for the opposite, however, it was also true that they both sought the Bat Egoist for their respective purposes, he was a key figure in the case, whether as the prosecutor or defender. Lucy went into a thinking posture upon Solomon's reply after the sketch was done, that was certainly something no one would disagree with there, this particular Egoist was so striking that unless he had shapeshifting abilities, no one sane would mistake him for anyone else. "That is something I had hoped for you to answer as I have insufficient knowledge regarding the intricacies of Egoism."
However, Lucretia could at least firmly shake her head at the Moroccan-Frenchman's next inquiry, "I am confident that he didn't wear headgear, it'd have fallen off considering how swift he moved to evade Schwarzritter's assault."
Franz sat back for the following exchange. It was important for him to look less invested than Lucy. Still, every action that Solomon took was under the scrutiny of the mesmerologists eye.
But when Solomon started pulling out a notepad to sketch the Egoist, Franz could only let out a chuckle. It was an amusing display. But with all the ties to this man could he really still be playing dumb. This wasn't even mentioning the visible mood changes throughout the conversation that let on he was more invested in this than he lets on.
Franz leaned in with a warm smile as if greeting a friend. "I must say this is amusing, Solomon. But I believe my companion here may have lead you down the wrong train of thought. So with all due respect, I must be blunt."
Franz then chimed in and Lucretia let him take the spotlight for now, she just listened at the Austrian's deduction on the matter. That's true, both of them think that the elusive Bat and Solomon had ties in some way, as patron and client at least, else, why would they even be here?
Meanwhile, the petite girl decided to sip the served milk tea while the two boys conversed.
"We believe you have ties to the Bat Egoist, in fact, I'm convinced of it. The ledger, Lucy's vivid description, this is all to ask a very simple question. Do you have a connection to this Bat Egoist?" Franz's smile faded slightly to one of focus. His eyes were locked into eye contact with Solomon's. Not even the slightest change in expression would go unnoticed.
While engaged in this question, Franz pulled a notebook out of his pocket. Without looking, he opened up to a specific page and wrote a small note. The context of that page hidden from the other two.
"Well, in terms of Egoism, I am honestly unable to recall whether there's a way to 'shapeshift' like they speak of in mythology and fairy tales," Solomon spoke. "The apex of the Oriental Egoists can increase their mass to titanic heights and then regress, but subtler transformations...well, in general cases, it takes a week or two to even obtain cosmetic additions and modifications to one's body through Egoism."
Franz, however, was pushing the point once more, and the dark-skinned Egoist turned towards the Genius of Vienna, amethyst eyes matching Franz's own. "As we've established beforehand, I may or may not have manufactured a photography device for this 'Bat Egoist'. Going by the description Miss Konigsmahne has provided, however, none of my clientele match what she had encountered, and Egoism itself, so far as I am aware, does not allow for swift shapeshifts."
Solomon sipped at his own cup of milk tea.
"Hmmm..." Solomon's answers present an interesting conundrum, given all the arguments presented, it seemed like the Frenchman wasn't lying after all. If most Egoists can't change their body on the fly, especially one such drastic transformation if Solomon was the Man-Bat, and that he claimed that none of his clients looked like the elusive photographer, then could Solomon really not be related to him? However, that high quality camera he carried, that fact still convinced Lucy that Solomon had relations with him, indirectly at the very least.
"Might have purchased one of your cameras through a proxy, Mr. Antedivula?" She inquired, hand on her chin, in deep thought.
The damned Frenchman was lying. Franz would not accept that answer as anywhere close to being the truth. But what could he do now? Solomon had responded in a polite and respectful manner, he didn't so much as show a lick of hesitation. Pressing him further now would yield no results and only serve to degrade Franz's image. With nothing more to be gained here, it was time to leave. All that was left was to finish up the small talk. But this was not over.
Franz leaned back returning to his friendly demeanor. "Ah, thank you. I appreciate such a direct answer. I believe that concludes our investigation here. A dead end is a dead end after all." Franz shrugged it off. "But I must say your company is enjoyable, Mr Antedivula. Should the circumstances of our meeting were different, I am sure we could have made fast friends."
"But alas, I can only thank you for the tea and be on my way."
"If it was purchased via proxy...well in that case, I certainly couldn't help you," Solomon replied, an apologetic smile forming. "I do wish you two the best in your future investigations, however."
He lifted his left hand up, offering a handshake to first Franz, then Lucretia.
"Good day to the two of you. Perhaps next time, I'll see you two as customers proper?"
"Hmmm..." Lucy spared a few more moments to think, Solomon's answer made sense, perhaps it was time to search for this proxy. Well, there was the possibility that the Man-Bat is indeed one of his customers, just a backroom deal kind of thing, not registered in the ledger; even if he was, the Moroccan Frenchman wouldn't let her see it anyway. If only Schwarzritter is here... In hindsight, perhaps it'd have been a wiser move to not lend it to Sukoro for a few days, but hindsight had perfect vision for a reason.
Right now, continuing the conversation would just be a waste of time, so Lucretia had similar thoughts as Franz. She finished her cup of milk tea then stood up as well, "Actually, I'll also be going myself. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Antedivula." After reciprocating Solomon's handshake, she proceeded to position herself to tag along with Franz, something the Austrian student would no doubt notice, "I'll be coming with you, Herr Steiner." ...and that too, perhaps.
Franz said his farewells to the French Egoist, knowing full well this was not the end. A friendly smile hid ill intent as Franz was already plotting his actions for the coming night.
On his way out, Franz noticed that Lucy was still insistant on joining him on his daily adventures. While he didn't mind the company, he did prefer to do his work alone. So instead, he may as well meet up with the investigation team and let them in on the developments. Plus, he found the idea of bringing Lucy into such a place quite amusing. "As you wish, Frau Konigsmahne."
